Physical features

The nominate, and most numerous, subspecies, P. erithacus erithacus, sometimes known as the Congo African gray, is silvery gray in colour; the colour is darker on the head and wings and lightens on the belly. Head and body feathers are edged in white, giving the birds a scaled appearance. The tail feathers are bright red. Red feathers may appear randomly among the body feathers of older birds as well. South African breeders have selected for the latter quality over many generations, leading to all-red birds that sell for exorbitant sums. The face is covered in bare white skin that may blush when the bird is agitated. The iris of the eye is black upon hatching and lightens to yellowish silver as the bird matures. The beak is black. P. erithacus timneh is a darker steel gray and possesses a darker maroon-coloured tail and an upper mandible that darkens from shell-pink at the base to black at the tip.

Habits

African grays prefer lowland rainforest through most of their range, venturing into surrounding savanna, mangroves, and agricultural land for food. They prefer to forage in groups of usually fewer than 50 birds. The species is largely frugivorous, eating seeds, nuts, and fruit from multiple genera, including Bombax, Ficus, Macaranga, and Raphia, with a special preference for the fruit of the oil palm (Elaies guineensis). It supplements its diet with flowers, bark, and invertebrates, including insects and snails. It also descends to the ground to ingest clay and soil, probably for nutrients and antiparasitic compounds. When foraging in trees, it prefers to use its beak and feet to climb between branches rather than flying.

A flocking bird, the African gray congregrates in groups that may include as many as 1,000 birds to roost at night. Where possible, they roost on coastal or river islands or near clearings in order to avoid predators. Highly social, they communicate through a variety of raucous vocalizations that serve to coordinate flocking, warn of danger, and express anger toward rivals. The birds have been observed mimicking the calls of other bird species and even that of a bat.

The species is prey for various raptors, including palm-nut vultures (Gypohierax angolensis). Nestlings and eggs are taken by monkeys. A flock of African grays that has been alerted to a predator may fall silent before abruptly breaking cover and loudly screaming. Wild birds typically live to be about 20 years old; captive specimens have lived to be nearly 50.

Reproduction

African grays reach sexual maturity when they are between three and five years old. They mate for life. In most regions, the birds breed during the dry season; some populations breed twice a year. While flocks may nest in loose aggregations, a pair requires its own tree, where it creates a nest in a cavity some 30 metres (100 feet) off the ground. The pair enacts a dance in which both partners droop their wings prior to mating. The female then remains in the nest cavity, where she lays three to five eggs. The male feeds her until the eggs hatch 20–30 days later.

The young parrots fledge in 10–12 weeks, though they remain closely associated with their parents for an additional two to three years. During that period they become habituated to the social structure of the flock and learn the meanings of various calls. Young birds are submissive to older flock members.

Relationship to humans

In culture and as pets

The African gray is important to the Nigerian Yoruba people. Its tail feathers and image are used in the creation of masks worn during their Gelede social and religious festival. The red coloration of the tail feathers is seen as representative of both menstrual blood and the bright red oil of the oil palm upon which it feeds. The birds’ vocal nature led to their characterization in Yoruba folklore as spies and sentinels.

The African gray remains popular in the pet trade, and many captive breeding programs exist. The species is engaging and intelligent and—because of its social, flocking nature—forms strong attachments to its human caretakers. However, if not properly trained, it can become destructive and aggressive. A balanced diet, including fresh foods, is essential, as are regular sessions of socialization. Neglect and stress can lead to episodes of feather plucking, a damaging neurosis that is challenging to correct. Responsible breeders will not sell young birds until they can feed on their own. After they learn that skill, there exists a roughly two-month window—coincident with wild fledglings’ introduction to the rest of the flock—during which it is best to transfer them to new homes.

Anecdotal evidence from those who care for African grays has long suggested that the parrots possess high innate intelligence. American animal behaviourist and psychologist Irene Pepperberg vindicated those observations with her studies of the cognitive abilities of African grays, using a bird named Alex and, later, additional specimens. Alex, who had been purchased from a pet store in Chicago in 1977, proved receptive to Pepperberg’s attempts to train him using positive behavioral reinforcement. Among his most significant accomplishments was proving unequivocally that parrots could associate sound and meaning, demolishing long-held theories that birds were capable of only mimicking human voices. At the time of his death in 2007, he could use English to count to six, correctly label objects of five shapes and seven colours, and differentiate groups of objects by colour, material, and shape. He further used English to communicate to other African grays in Pepperberg’s lab, variously encouraging and chastising their efforts at labeling and categorization.

Studies by other researchers have determined that African grays can use deductive reasoning to correctly choose between pairs of boxes—one containing food, the other empty—when they are shaken and that pairs of parrots are capable of working together to obtain a food reward. The intelligence of the species is thought to rank among the highest of nonhuman animals, including apes and cetaceans; some researchers have compared its reasoning abilities to those of a three- or four-year-old human child.

Conservation status

A 2003 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) study estimated that nearly 660,000 African grays were sold on the international market between 1982 and 2001. Extrapolations suggested that more than 300,000 additional birds likely died during capture or transport. Both P. erithacus erithacus and P. erithacus timneh were listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species in 2012; the IUCN recognized them as separate species. Importation of wild-caught specimens to the United States was banned in 1992 under the Wild Bird Conservation Act. The European Union banned the importation of wild-caught birds in 2007. Nonetheless, significant markets existed for the trade of African grays in the Middle East, in East Asia, and within Africa itself.

Estimates of the total wild population in the early 21st century ranged as high as 13 million, though precise surveys were impossible because the parrots live in isolated, often politically volatile regions.